The Bookseller already has one of their reporters stationed outside Waterstone’s in Piccadily, where people have been waiting outside the store since Wednesday. Yes, Wednesday. Today alone, hundreds of Harry Potter fans have been braving torrential rain to queue outside bookstores in a bid to be first to get their hands on a copy of the latest book. The branch received its first delivery of the book at around 10.45am, to cheers from costumed fans.
Practically everyone who turned up was in fancy dress. Most were clad in wizards’ capes, with some choosing the Hogwarts school uniform. One man carried a sign reading “My girlfriend made me come here”, which makes me wonder if it’s the same guy who was completely confused by instructions about the title of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX when I hung around the queue outside a different Waterstone’s four years ago.